Inertia-type overwind device for a filament coiling machine



July 28, 1959 Filed April 12, 1957 v H- H. MEISINGER INERTIA-TYPE OVERWIND DEVICE FOR A FILAMENT COILING MACHINE 2 Sheet s-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

July 28, 1959 H. H. MEISINGER INERTIA-TYPE OVERWIND DEVICE FOR A FILAMENT COILING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 12, 1957 Application April 12, 1957, Serial No. 652,465 '10 Claims. (Cl. 153-67) The present invention relates to article coiling machines and, more particularly, to an overwind device for such a machine.

Heretofore, coiled lamp filaments have been formed on automatic filament coiling machines, such as shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,439,893, issued April 20, 1948, to F. B. Iden, by winding a tungsten wire or a primary coil around a molybdenum mandrel of the coiling machine to form a filament having a predetermined number of turns in the coiled body and a desired angularity between the uncoiled straight end leg portions. In a machine of this type the wire is fed from a reel through a guide located on a carriage movable longitudinally of the mandrel axis to space the turns of the filament body, which guide positions the wire transversely to the mandrel. A wire gripper within the spindle of the coiling head holds the free end of the wire adjacent and across the mandrel and rotates with the mandrel about the mandrel axis to coil the wire around the mandrel.

In order to compensate for variations in wire characteristics from reel to reel which variations affect the spring-back of the wound filament after release from the coiling head, the above-mentioned patent discloses the provision of an adjustable overwind device on the coiling machine which adds an additional fractional turn to the body of the wound filament. This overwind device provides a cam and gear arrangement for rotating the carriage on its spindle through a predetermined angle about the mandrel axis and at a uniform rate with respect to the rotation of the mandrel and wire gripper during the coiling interval of the filament coiling operation.

Since the adjustable drive for rotating this carriage is not the same as the drive for rotating the mandrel and the wire gripper in unison about the mandrel axis, the back lash between the separate drives often causes inaccuracies in the desired overwind and non-uniformity in the wound filaments. Further, considerable wear is encountered in the many moving parts of the conventional overwind device, such as shown in the above-mentioned patent, with resultant maintenance problems and lost production time. Again, a machine of this type is subject to the further objection that the overwind device is not readily accessible for maintenance and hence requires complete dismantling of the device for the service of any of its parts. In addition, the cost of this complex prior art device closely approximates a good proportion of the cost of the filament coiling machine.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of and objections to the prior art overwind devices by the provision of an inertia type overwind device for article coiling machines which device is incorporated in the means for rotating the coiling head of the article coiling machine.

A specific object of the present invention is the provision of an inertia type overwind device which eliminates back lash in the moving parts and provides a consistent desired overwind with resultant uniformly wound filaments.

t by means of a clamping slide 20,

A further object of this invention is the provision of an inertia type overwind device which is readily accessible for any required maintenance.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an inertia type overwind device which is simple in construction, has relatively few moving parts and is extremely low in cost.

The aforesaid objects of this invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by providing an inertia type overwind device having a first rotatable member for rotating the coiling head in which the mandrel is supported and in which an end of the wire is secured, a second rotatable member connected to and rotatable with the first rotatable member and means for rotating the second rotatable member. The first rotatable member is adapted by its inertia to limitedly continue its rotation after the second rotatable member ceases its rotation to add an additional fractional turn to the wound filament.

Although the principles of the invention are broadly applicable to article coiling machines in general, the invention is usually employed in conjunction with the wind-- ing of a coiled lamp filament and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partially in section, along the line II of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, of a single head filament coiling machine which incorporates the inertia type overwind device of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the filament coiling machine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of the overwind device along the line III-4H of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows, and showing the position of the two rotating members of the overwind device at the start of the inertia type overwind.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the overwind device along the line IVIV of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows and showing the details of its construction.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the means for connecting the two rotating members of the overwind device.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and showing the position of the two rotating members of the overwind devices at the end of the inertia type overwind.

. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figs. 3 and 6 and showing the operation of the resetting means for the overwind device.

Fig. 8 is an end elevational view of a coiled lamp filament fabricated on the filament coiling machine of Fig. 1.

With specific reference to the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings a single head filament coiling machine 10 is shown in Fig. l for Winding a refractory coil or wire 12 into a coiled lamp filament 14 (Fig. 8). Since the machine 10 is of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,801,670, issued August 6, 1957, to T. Wolf and assigned to the same assignee as the present application and per se forms no part of this invention, it is deemed sufiicient to briefly describe the machine and its operation.

At the start of the filament coiling operation the wire 12 (Fig. l) is threaded successively through wire gripper jaws 16 and a coiling die 18 carried by a wire gripper which is reciprocable on the frame portions 22 of the machine 10. The slide 20 is advanced toward a mandrel 24 held in the chuck 26 secured to a spindle 28 of a coiling head 30 until the mandrel 24 is inserted into the die 18 and the free end of the wire 12 can be secured finger 31 to a nose 32 supported by a hollow spindle shaft 34 of the coiling head 30 to thus form one of the uncoiled straight leg portions of the filament 14.

Rotation of the nose 32 and the mandrel 24 (Fig. 1) by a spindle shaft rotating mechanism (Figs. 1 and 2) which incorporates an overwind device of the present invention, While the slide 20 is simultaneously moved longitudinally to the left of the mandrel 24, as viewed in Fig. 1, causes the wire 12 to be coiled around the mandrel 24. When the desired number of coil turns have been formed, the wire 12 is severed by conventional cutting means (not shown) of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,179,296, issued November 9, 1939, to F. B. Iden to form the other uncoiled straight leg portion of the filament 14 and the spindle 28 and the mandrel 24 carried thereby are retracted within the spindle shaft 34 by a conventional spindle retracting mechanism 36 (Figs. 1 and 2) to strip the filament 14 from the mandrel 24.

Spindle shaft rotating mechanism A pinion gear 38 of the spindle shaft rotating mechanism is affixed to the right hand end of the spindle shaft 34, as viewed in Fig. 1. This gear 38 meshes with a first rotatable member or pinion gear 40 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) of the overwind device, which pinion gear 40 is rotatable on a stud shaft 42 projecting from a bracket 82 upstanding from the frame portions 22 of the machine 10. To connect the pinion gear 40 with a second rotatable member or pinion gear 44 carried by the stud shaft 42, and to cause the rotation of the pinion gear 40 with the pinion gear 44 on the stud shaft 42, a pin 46 (Figs. 1-7) extends laterally from the pinion gear 40 and projects through an annular slot 48 in the pinion gear 44. The slot 48 permits the pinion gear 40 to limitedly continue its rotation with respect to the pinion gear 44 when the pinion gear 44 ceases its rotation. To limit this continued rotation of the pinion gear 40 with respect to the pinion gear 44 to a desired predetermined angle [3 (Figs. 6 and 7) a stop 50 (Figs. 2-4 and 6-7) comprising a flanged block is adjustably secured in the annular slot 48, by means of a screw (Fig. 4) extending through a washer. As shown in Fig. 4, the pinion gears 40 and 44 are separated from each other by a leather washer 51, which gradually decelerates the pinion gear 40 during its limited rotation with resptc to the pinion gear 44, and the gears 40 and 44 are secured in rotational engagement therewith by a spring-biased thrust bearing 52 affixed to the stud shaft 42 by a nut.

The means for rotating the pinion gear 44 (Figs. 1 and 2) during the coiling interval comprises a gear train, such as shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,179,296, issued November 7, 1939, to F. B. Iden and a conventional prime mover, such as a motor (not shown). Since the gear train per se is conventional, it is suflicient to say that it consists of a pinion gear 53 on a second stud shaft 54, which gear 53 meshes with the pinion gear 44; a second pinion gear 56 on the shaft 54 which engages a pinion gear 58 on another stud shaft 60; and another pinion gear 62 (Fig. 2) on the shaft 60 in engagement with an intermittent gear 64 on a main cam shaft 66 of the filament coiling machine 10, which shaft 66 is continuously rotated by the motor (not shown). Since the coiling operation only takes place during a portion of each cycle of the filament coiling operation, the intermittent gear 64 does not have teeth completely around the periphery thereof and the pinion gear 62 is therefore not always in mesh with the intermittent gear 64.

Thus, it will be seen from a consideration of Fig. 2 that continuous counterclockwise rotation of the shaft 66 and the intermittent gear 64 limits the clockwise rotation of the pinion gears 40 and 44 of the overwind device by means of the above described gear train, to the coiling in terval in which interval the pinion gear 62 is in engagement with the toothed portions of the intermittent gear 64. The clockwise rotation of the pinion gear 40 rotates the pinion gear 38 and the spindle shaft 34 in a counterclockwise direction to perform the above described coiling of the wire 12 into a filament 14. When the pinion gear 62 runs off the toothed portions of the intermittent gear 64 the pinion gear 44 ceases to rotate. However, the pinion gear 40 is adapted by its rotational inertia to limitedly continue its clockwise rotation through the predetermined angle 5 (Figs. 6 and 7) after the pinion gear 44 has stopped, from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 6, where the pin 46 strikes the stop 50, thus adding an additional fractional turn to the filament 14 and assuring the desired aligned angularity between the uncoiled straight leg portions of the filament 14. A resetting means (Figs. 1-4 and 6-7) then returns the pin 46 and hence the pinion gear 40 from the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7, to the starting position shown in Figs. 3 and 7.

The resetting mechanism for the overwind device has an arm 70 (Figs. 1-4 and 6-7) secured to a stud shaft 7 2 eccentrically mounted on the bracket 82 on the frame portions 22 of the machine 10, a distance e (Fig. 2) from the stud shaft 42, which arm 70 is provided with a resetting blade 74 (Fig. 4). This eccentric mounting of the arm 70 permits the resetting of the overwind device (Fig. 7) after the desired overwind of the filament 14 has been accomplished and also permits the retraction of the arm 70 out of the path of rotating movement of the pin 46 during the coiling interval of the filament coiling operation. To connect the stud shaft 72 to a prime mover of the resetting mechanism a yoke 76 (Figs. 1 and 2) affixed to the outer portions of the stud shaft 72 is suitably pinned to a piston rod 78 of an air cylinder 80 suitably mounted on the aforementioned bracket 82 (Fig. 1). This piston rod 78 is spring-biased to the up or solid line position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 during the ceiling interval. For the purpose of con trolling the flow of air to the air cylinder 80, an air line 84 (Fig. 1) connects the air cylinder 80 to a three-way valve 36, adapted to alternatively connect the line 84 to the atmosphere and to a line 88 extending to a supply of air (not shown). One satisfactory way of controlling the movement of the valve 86 is to connect an operating stem 90 of the valve 86 to a spring biased armature 92 of a solenoid 94 which armature 92 normally maintains the valve 86 in the solid line position of Fig. 1 in communication with the atmosphere during the coiling interval while at the same time the resetting mechanism is maintained in the solid line position of Figs. 1 and 2. This armature '92 is movable to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, to the dotted line position shown therein by energization of a solenoid-coil energizing circuit for an operating coil 98 of the solenoid 94 to cause the valve 86 to rotate in a clockwise direction thus permitting the introduction of air to the cylinder 80, to cause the operation of the resetting mechanism as hereinafter explained in detail.

As shown in Fig. 1, the solenoid-coil energizing circuit extends from one side of a voltage supply, indicated by the legend A.C. Supply, through a conductor 100 to one end of the operating coil 98, from the other end of this coil 98 through a conductor 102 to one side of a normally open microswitch 104, operated by a cam 106 on the main cam shaft 66 of the filament coiling machine 10, and through a conductor from the other side of the switch 104 to the other side of the voltage supply.

Closure of the microswitch 104 by the cam 106 at the end of the coiling interval of the filament coiling operation energizes the operating coil 98 of the solenoid 94, thus moving the armature 92 of the solenoid 94 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, and turning the valve 86 in a clockwise direction to connect the air line 84 to the supply ofair (not shown). The resultant flow of air moves the piston rod 78 of the air cylinder 80 downwardly from the solid line positions of Figs. 1 and 2 to the dotted line positions shown therein, rotating the yoke 76 and the 7'0 in a counterclockwise direction, from the solid line position shown in Figs. 2 and 7, to the dotted position shown therein and thearm 70 from the dotted line position to the solid line position shown in Fig. 7 thus moving the pin 46 and hence the pinion gear 40 through the resetting angle [3 (Figs. 6 and 7) to the position shown in Fig. 3. After the resetting of the pinion gear 40 with respect to the pinion gear 44 has been accomplished, the cam 106 opens the switch 104, thus deenergizing the operating coil 98 of the solenoid 94 and permitting the spring biased armature 92 of the solenoid 94 to move to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, to its initial position thus causing the rotation of the valve 86 in a counterclockwise direction to the solid line original position shown in Fig. 1. The attendant release of the air within the line 84 and the air cylinder 80 to the atmosphere permits the spring biased piston rod 78 and the arm 70 to return to their initial solid line position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which position the arm 70 will not interfere with the rotation of the pin 46 during the coiling interval of the filament coiling operation.

Thus, it is seen from the foregoing description that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by providing an inertia type overwind device which is incorporated in the spindle shaft rotating mechanism of the filament coiling machine. This inertia type overwind device eliminates back lash in the moving parts of the coiling machine 10 and consistently provides any desired overwind in coiled lamp filaments 14 to fabricate uniformly wound filaments 14 having desired aligned uncoiled straight end leg portions. In addition, such inertia type overwind device is readily accessible for any required maintenance, is simple in construction, has relatively few moving parts and is extremely low in cost.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that other modifications thereof may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

I claim:

1. The combination with an article coiling machine of a coiling head for supporting a mandrel and gripping an end of an elongated article in a position adjacent said mandrel, and an overwind device comprising a first rotatable member for rotating said coiling head to cause said elongated article to be coiled about said mandrel and to thus produce a wound article, a second rotatable member connected to said first rotatable member by a lost motion connection and rotatable therewith, and means for rotating said second rotatable member a predetermined amount for Winding said article, said first rotatable member being adapted by its inertia and by said connection to limitedly continue its rotation after :said second rotatable member ceases its rotation, to add :an additional fractional turn to said wound article.

2. The combination with an article coiling machine of a coiling head for supporting a mandrel and gripping an end of an elongated article in a position adjacent said mandrel, and an overwind device comprising a first rotatable member for rotating said coiling head to cause said elongated article to be coiled about said mandrel and to thus produce a wound article, a second rotatable member connected to said first rotatable member by an adjustable lost motion connection and rotatable therewith, means for rotating said second rotatable member a predetermined amount for Winding said article, said first rotatable member being adapted by its inertia and by said connection to limitedly continue its rotation after said second rotatable member ceases its rotation, to add an additional fractional turn to said wound article and resetting means for returning said first and second rotatable members to their positions at the beginning of the limited rotation of said first rotatable member.

3. In combination for an article coiling machine a coiling head for supporting a mandrel and gripping an end of an elongated article in a position adjacentsaid mandrel and an overwind device comprising a first rotatable member for rotating said coiling head to cause said elongated article to be coiled about said mandrel to produce a wound article, a second rotatable member connected to said first rotatable member by anadjustable lost motion connection and rotatable therewith, means for rotating said second rotatable member a predetermined amount for winding the article during the coiling cycle, said first rotatable member being adapted by its inertia and by said connection to limitedly continue its rotation after said second rotatable member ceases its rotation, to add an additional fractional turn to said wound article and adjustable means on said second rotatable member to be engaged by said first rotatable member and thus limit the continued rotation of said first rotatable member.

4. The combination with an article coiling machine of a coiling head for supporting a mandrel and gripping an end of an elongated article in a position adjacent said mandrel, and an overwind device comprising a first rotatable member for rotating said coiling head to cause said elongated article to be coiled about said mandrel and to thus produce a Wound article, said first rotatable member having a connecting member projecting there from, a second rotatable member adapted to receive said connecting member to cause said rotatable members to rotate together and also to permit the limited rotation of said first rotatable member and connecting member relative to said second rotatable member and means for rotating said second rotatable member a predetermined amount for Winding said article, said first rotatable member and connecting member being adapted by their inertia and by their connection to the second rotatable member to limitedly continue their rotation after said second rotatable member ceases its rotating, to add an additional fractional turn to said wound article.

5. The combination with a filament coiling machine of a coiling head for supporting a mandrel and gripping an end of a wire in a position adjacent said mandrel, and an overwind device comprising a first gear for rotating said coiling head to cause said wire to be coiled about said mandrel and to thus produce a filament, a second gear connected to said first gear by a lost motion connection and rotatable therewith and means for rotating said second gear a predetermined amount for winding said filament, said first gear being adapted by its inertia and by said connection to limitedly continue its rotation after said second gear ceases its rotation, to add an addi tional fractional turn to said filament.

6. An overwind device for an article coiling machine having a coiling head provided with a mandrel and gripping means for holding an end of an elongated article, comprising a first rotatable member for rotating said coiling head to cause said elongated article to be coiled about said mandrel and to thus produce a Wound article, a second rotatable member connected to said first rotatable member by a lost motion connection and rotatable therewith, and means for rotating said second rotatable member a predetermined amount for winding said article during the coiling cycle, said first rotatable member being adapted by its inertia and by said connection to limitedly continue its rotation after said second rotatable member ceases its rotation, to add an additional fractional turn to said Wound article.

7. An overwind device for an article coiling machine having a coiling head provided with a mandrel and gripping means for holding an end of an elongated article, comprising a first rotatable member for rotating said coiling head to cause said elongated article to be coiled about said mandrel and to thus produce a Wound article, a second rotatable member connected to said first rotatable member by an adjustable lost motion connection and rotatable therewith, means for rotating said second rotatable member a predetermined amount for Wind ing the article during the coiling cycle, said first rotatable member being adapted by its inertia and by said connection to limitedly continue its rotation after said second rotatable member ceases its rotation, toadd an additional fractional turn to said wound article and resetting means for returning said first and second rotatable members to their positions at the beginning of the limited rotation of said first rotatable member.

8. An overwind device for an article coiling machine having a coiling head provided with a mandrel and gripping meansfor holding an end of an elongated article, comprising a first rotatable member for rotating said coiling head to cause said elongated article to be coiled about said mandrel and to thus produce a wound article, a second rotatable member connected to said first rotatable member by an adjustable lost motion-connection and rotatable therewith, means for-rotating said second rotatable member a predetermined amount for winding the article during the coiling cycle, said first rotatable member being adapted by its inertia and by said connection to limitedly continue its rotation after said second rotatable member ceases its rotation, to add an additional fractional turn to said wound article and adjustable means on said second rotatable member to be engaged by said first rotatable member and thus limit the continued rotation of said first rotatable member.

9. An overwind device for an article coiling machine having a coiling head provided with a mandrel and gripping means for holding an end of an elongated article, comprising a first rotatable member for rotating said coiling head to cause said elongated article to be coiled about said mandrel and to thus produce a wound article, said first rotatable member having a connecting member projecting therefrom, a second rotatable member adapted to receive said connecting member in limited rotatable rotating said second rotatable member a predetermined amount for winding said article'during the coiling cycle,

' said first rotatable member being adapted by its inertia and by itsconnection to the second rotatable member to limitedly continue its rotation after said second rotatable member ceases its rotation, to add an additional fraction al turn to said wound article.

10. An overwind device for a filament coiling machine having a coiling head provided with a mandrel and gripping means for holding an end of a-Wire, comprising a first gear 'forsirnultaneously rotating said coiling head to cause said wire to be coiled about said mandrel to produce a filament, a second gear connected-to said first gear by an adjustable lost motion connection and rotatable therewith, and means for rotating said second gear a predetermined amount for winding said filament during the coiling cycle, said first 'gear being adapted by its inertia and by said connection to limitedly continue its rotation after said second gear ceases its rotation, to add an additional fractional-turn to said filament.

Referencesflited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 515,695 Royer Feb. 27, 1894 794,433 Thibodeau July 11, 1905 828,156 Watkins Aug. 7, 1906 1,553,309 Eisler Sept. 15, 1925 2,069,272 Richards Feb. 2, 1937 12,179,296 Iden Nov. 7, 1939 2,439,893 Iden Apr. 20, 1948 2,801,670 Wolf Aug. 6, 1957 

